Link for disintegrating ammunition belt



Sept. 9, 1969 J. w. sARvls 3,465,640

LINK FOR DISINTEGRATING AMMUNITION BELT Filed March '7, 1968 FIG.6. FIG.7.

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uvvswron John W. Sarvis ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,465,640 LINK FOR DISINTEGgA ITING AMMUNITION B L John William Sarvis, P.0. Box 26, Burlington, Vt. 05401 Filed Mar. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 711,378 Int. Cl. F41d 9/00; F42b 39/08; F41c 25/00 US. Cl. 89-35 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An ammunition belt of the disintegrating type, for rapid fire guns and launchers, wherein the sequential links of the assembled belt are directly interpivoted by latch means pivoted to each link. Pivotal connection of the links is positive; and timely disintegration is reliably effected by coaction between the latch means of each link, in succession, and a part of the gun reciprocating in timed relation with firing thereof.

aircraft, which involve the use of a minimum number of parts per link, and which is a general advance in the art.

Another object is to provide a link of the type mentioned, which avoids the use of discrete loops, rings, or other extraneous parts in connecting each link of the assembled belt with the links immediately preceding and following, and thus reduces costs of fabrication and assembly.

A still further object is to provide a link which because of its relative simplicity and positive operation, reduces to a minimum the possibility of jamming or malfunctioning of the weapon.

Yet another object is to provide a link which by reason of its simple construction, is relatively light in weight for any caliber or size of gun and hence has minimum inertia, resulting in reduced wear upon the feed mechanism of the gun and, when desired, enabling an increased rate of fire.

Still another object is to provide a link which has but one moving part, permanently connected therewith, and which is therefore readily adapted to fabrication by automatic machinery at minimum cost per link, caliber for caliber.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art, after a study of the following detailed description, in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of' a link embracing a cartridge about to be extracted from the link and rammed into the breech of the gun, or about to be fired without a supporting barrel, the latch of the link being in operating position;

FIGURE 2 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 1, but showing the latch pivoted to its second position freeing the next preceding link in disintegrating action;

3,465,640 Patented Sept. 9, 1969 FIGURE 3 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 2, showing the release lever of the gun restored to normal position and the preceding link removed;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a link embodying the invention and equipped with one form of means for releasably retaining the latch in each of its two positions of pivotal adjustment;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of another link, with latch removed to more clearly show the pivot aperture therefor;

FIGURE 6 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 5, of the latch used with the link depicted upon FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a sectional detail taken in a plane identified by line 77, FIGURE 6.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 1 to 3, 1 identifies a link shown in normal position encircling and frictionally holding the casing 2 of a round or cartridge 3. The casing has the usual rimmed base 4 and extractor groove 5. At one side of its central portion, lugs 6 and 7, are struck out from the link, leaving openings as indicated at 8 and 9. These lugs are spaced, generally parallel, and extend outwardly in planes which are essentially radial of the longitudinal axis of the link. They are pierced, each with a hole such as the one identified at 10, in lug 7, FIGURE 2. The two holes are aligned in and along an axis normal to and radially offset from the longitudinal axis of the link.

At its side opposite lugs 6 and 7, the link has a third lug 11, FIGURES 1 and 2, struck outwardly therefrom, and pierced similarly to lugs 6 and 7. It will be understood that lug 11 appearing in FIGURES 1 and 2, is that of the next contiguous link. The arrangement and location of the lugs is such that lug 11 of one link may fit loosely between lugs 6 and 7 of the next adjacent link, with the holes in alignment and the two links in proper. side-by-side relation,

A latch 13 is pivoted intermediate its end by mounting means as at 14, FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, to the side wall of the link, rearwardly of and somewhat rotationally'offset from lugs 6 and 7. The forward end of the latch is formed with a pivot-forming nose portion 15 which, in the pivotal position of the latch shown upon FIGURE 1, passes through the aligned holes in lugs 6 and 7 of one link, and the hole in lug 11 of the next contiguous link. Thereby the two links are positively interconnected so long as latch 13 remains in itsfirst and operational position shown at FIGURE 1.

In a way clear from inspection of FIGURE 2, when latch 13 is pivoted to its second and release position, nose portion 15 is withdrawn from the aperture in lug 11 so that the two links are free to separate. The apertures in the lugs, such as 10, are sized to receive pivot nose 15 loosely, so that in the assembled belt each link and its cartridge may have limited but free individual movement about two mutually-normal axes one of which is coaxial with the aligned holes in the lugs, and the other of which is normal to the longitudinal axis of the link and its cartridge. The belt is thus readily adapted to conform to and to smoothly follow, various shapes and contours of guide means, in its path of travel from the magazine to the loading mechanism of the gun.

Latch 13 is also formed with an abutment 16 which, as seen upon FIGURE 1, extends somewhat to the rear of pivot 14 and terminates when in the operative position of this figure, in the plane of base 4 of the cartridge.

The gun or launcher per se is of known construction and, merely by way of example, may have a lever 17 pivoted at 18, and turned between the inactive position as in FIGURE 1, and the active position of FIGURE 2, in timed relation with firing of the weapon.

FIGURE 4 shows one construction by which latch 13 may be releasably held in either of its two positions of pivotal adjustment, operational and release, respectively. Link 1a is shown with conventional integral guide tabs 24 and 25. The pivot hole 26 for pivot pin 14, is formed in an embossment 27 of the link. Small depressions such as 28, 29 are formed at equal radial distances from the center of the hole, and in properly and angularly-spaced relation, as and for the purpose subsequently described. The arrangement and relation of the parts are such that when pin 14 is passed through hole 30 in latch 13, and hole 26 in embossment 27, and headed down inside the link, the latch is smothly pivoted and held releasably in one of its two limiting positions, shown upon FIGURES 1 and 2, respectively, by a protuberance 31 struck into the latch and capable of snapping into either of the depressions 28, 29. Means, not shown, such as pins staked in, or protuberances embossed into the wall of the link may, if desired, be used to limit pivoting of the latch between the two positions.

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 show a second form of pivot means for the latch, wherein the pivot pin is eliminated. Link 1b shown merely by way of example as a longitudinal split item, has an embossment 27b presenting a planar surface generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the link. A hole 32 in this planar surface, has two pairs of notches in its pheripheral edge as indicated at 33b and 330. Pair 33b are diametrically opposite, as are also pair 330.

Latch 13b is of the same general form as its counterpart 13, FIGURE 1, but in addition it has a tab 34 originally extending outwardly and radialy of the pivot axis of the latch but, in final form, is bent inwardly and curled, as clearly shown upon FIGURE 7. Likewise a second tab 35 is struck inwardly out of the plane of the latch, and is located diametrically opposite to tab 34 and of the same form but allochirally curved. Further, the two tabs have narrow ridges on their confronting surfaces, each shaped and positioned to snap into a respective one of the notch pairs 33b and 330.

The tabs have resilience so that they yield sufficiently I to enable them to snap through hole 32 and then return to initial unstressed position, thus firmly holding the latch for rotation or pivotal adjustment. Further, the notches are so located that when the ridges on the tabs snap into one pair of notches 3317, the latch is releasably held in the operational pivoted position of FIGURE 1, while, when they ride into the notches 330, they act to releasably hold the latch in the release position of FIGURE 2. In the second position the end of nose 15 is, as shown in FIGURE 2, free of the hole in lug 11 so that the links are free to separate. However, the end of the nose may, or may not move completely free of the hole in the upper one of the lugs 6, 6a or 6b, as the case may be. It may be desirable to so locate depression 29, or notches 330, as to leave the end of the nose extending slightly into the hole in lug 6, for example, and thus act as a positive guide in event of relinking. In the claims, the term clears said hole is intended to coverboth constructions, as aforesaid.

The operation will be clear from the foregoing description and is briefly rsumd as follows: As the belt is drawn into the weapon by the feed mechanism thereof, latches 13 are in the operational position of FIGURE 1, wherein all rounds are connected, drawn into the gun, and fired in sequence. When, during a cycle of firing, lever 17 is 4 pivoted from the position of FIGURE 1 to that of FIG- URE 2, latch 13 of the round being fired is correspondingly pivoted from its position of FIGURE 1, to that of FIGURE 2. The previously-fired cartridge and its link are thereby freed for disintegrating action.

While I have disclosed the invention as presently preferred by me, numerous changes in shape, proportions, relation and positioning of parts, and details of construction will readily occur to those skilled in the art, after a study of the foregoing disclosure. Hence the disclosure should be taken in an illustrative sense.

Having fully disclosed the invention, what I claim and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As a component part of an ammunition belt of the disintegrating type, a link having a central longitudinal axis, and adapted to extend about and frictionally retain therein a round of ammunition, first and second lug means integrally connected with and extending outwardly from said link at opposite sides thereof, respectively, latch means, and mounting means carried by said link and connecting said latch means directly to said link, independently of said lug means, and mounting said latch means for movement from a first position wherein an integral pivot part of said latch means extends within a hole in said lug means, to a second position wherein said pivot part clears said hole.

2. The component part of claim 1, said mounting means pivoting said latch means to said link directly and independently of said lug means, upon an axis essentially normal to said central longitudinal axis and intersecting said link.

3. As a component part of an ammunition belt of the disintegrating type, a link having a central longitudinal axis, and adapted to extend about and frictionally retain therein a round of ammunition, first and second lug means integrally connected with and extending outwardly from said link at diametrically opposite sides thereof, respectively, and latch means connected with said link adjacent one said lug means, and movable from a first position wherein an integral pivot part of said latch means extends within a hole in said lug means, to a second position wherein said pivot part clears said hole, said first lug means comprising a pair of essentially parallel lugs rotationally spaced with respect to said central longitudinal axis, the pivot part of said latch means extending through aligned holes in said pair of lugs when said latch means is in said first position.

4. The component part of claim 3, said second lug means comprising a single lug adapted to enter between the pair of lugs of a next adjacent link, the pivot part of said latch means when in first position, also passing through a hole in said single lug to thereby interconnect contiguous links into a belt.

5. The component part of claim 2, the pivot axis of said latch means being spaced rearwardly of said link, with respect to said lug means, and abutment means fixed with said latch means and radially offset from the pivot axis thereof, said abutment means being engageable to pivot said latch means between said first and second positions.

6. The component part of claim 4, said latch means being pivoted on the side of said link rearwardly of and adjacent to said first lug means, said pivot part thereof comprising a nose portion essentially coaxial of and offset from the pivot axis of said latch means, said pivot axis being substantially normal to said central longitudinal axis.

7. The link of claim 2, said mounting means comprising a pivot pin passing through a pivot hole in said latch means and fixed to the wall of said link, first and second depressions in said link adjacent to and rotationally spaced about said pin, and an embossment in said latch means and engageable in either of said depressions to releasably hold said latch means in a respective one of said first and second positions.

8. The link of claim 2, said mounting means comprising a hole in the Wall of said link, and a pair of tabs fixed with said latch means and extending outwardly therefrom, into and through said hole, to yieldingly engage over and about the peripheral edge of hole at diametrically opposite locations, thereby journaling said latch means in and for rotation about the axis of said hole.

9. The link of claim 8, said hole having first and second pairs of diametrically-opposite, circumferentially-spaced notches in its periphery, said tabs being resiliently engageable in the notches of either pair when said latch means is in a respective one of said first and second positions, to releasably and yieldably hold said latch means in its position of pivotal adjustment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1965 Benoit 8935 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner 

